Sec. 5105. Unsolicited research initiative
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Chapter 55 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 5505 the following new section: Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a program under which an eligible entity may at any time submit unsolicited research proposals for funding under this section. A research proposal submitted under subsection
(a)shall meet the purposes of the Secretary’s 5-year transportation research and development strategic plan described in section 6503(c)(1). Not later than 90 days after an eligible entity submits a proposal under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— review the research proposal submitted under subsection (a); evaluate such research proposal relative to the criteria described in subsection (b); provide to such eligible entity a written notice that— if the research proposal is not selected for funding under this section— notifies the eligible entity that the research proposal has not been selected for funding; provides an explanation as to why the research proposal was not selected, including if the research proposal does not cover an area of need; and if applicable, recommend that the research proposal be submitted to another research program; and if the research proposal is selected for funding under this section, notifies the eligible entity that the research proposal has been selected for funding; and fund the proposals described in paragraph (3)(B). Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall make available to the public on a public website, a report on the progress and findings of the program established under subsection (a). The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under this section may not exceed 50 percent. All costs directly incurred by the non-Federal partners, including personnel, travel, facility, and hardware development costs, shall be credited toward the non-Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under this section. Of the funds made available to carry out the university transportation centers program under section 5505, $2,000,000 shall be available for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025 to carry out this section. For fiscal years 2022 through 2025, funds made available under paragraph
(1)shall remain available until expended. If the Secretary determines, at the end of a fiscal year, funds under paragraph
(1)remain unexpended as a result of a lack of meritorious projects under this section, the Secretary may, for the following fiscal year, make remaining funds available under either this section or under section 5505. In this section, the term eligible entity means a State; a unit of local government; a transit agency; any nonprofit institution of higher education, including a university transportation center under section 5505; and a nonprofit organization. . The analysis for chapter 55 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 5505 the following new item: 5506. Unsolicited research initiative. .